Book Reviews

Here are some questions for those who lead and teach high school and/or college age students. Are you looking for a book or resource that will be deeply challenging to both the students and yourself? Are you looking for a topic to discuss that covers the really big issues of living with purpose and making much of the time we have been given here by the Lord? Are you looking for material on these topics that are coming from a strong reformed and biblical point of view? Then I humbly recommend John Piper’s book Don’t Waste Your Life.

A word of warning right from the start, this will not be a quick or easy read. Piper, while aiming this book at mature high school and college age students, still writes in at an intense level that encourages the reader to dig for the richness of the thoughts being presented. This is not at all to say that’s bad. Rather, it is excellent and encourages everyone reading to stretch and grow by working through the pages and discussing these strong truths.

Piper gives plenty of stories from his personal journey to find the God-honoring purpose in life. If you have read other books by John Piper you will notice familiar phrases throughout the book, (“God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him”, “The Cross of Christ, the blazing center of the glory of God”, “Gladly making others glad in God”, etc.). However, these are presented in the context of communicating them to the rising generation of disciples. The book is quite solid overall, yet the chapters, “Living to Prove He Is More Precious Than Life” and “Making Much of Christ from 8 to 5” are truly outstanding.

Piper closes the book with a seven-page prayer that I appreciate very much. Regarding sin, Piper prays, “Not only did it rob our souls of that one joy that you designed to satisfy us for eternity [worth], but worse, it robbed you of your honored place as Treasure of our lives.” On the purpose of writing and speaking truth, “But I have tried to probe your written Word and say what you have said. That is my only claim to truth-that I have echoed what you wrote.” And of the church he prayerfully writes, “Let love flow from your saints, and may it, Lord, be this: that even if it costs our lives, the people will be glad in God…Take your honored place, O Christ, as the all-satisfying Treasure of the world.”

While I do not agree with how much emphasis he places on some things, this is an exceptional book that the Lord can use to cause growth to happen in the lives of all who read and discuss it. Buy the book.

Scott Oliphint has written an excellent primer on apologetics that underscores the place of apologetics in God’s scheme. Oliphint is a professor of apologetics at Westminster Theological Seminary and has served in the pastorate before assuming his seminary position. He emphasizes that apologetics require complete dependence of God’s Word and Spirit. He wisely shows the importance of doing apologetics from a biblical perspective. Recognizing the usual connection between apologetics and philosophy, he highlights that “defending the faith” requires a solidly biblical base in that discipline. In contrast to other writers on this subject, Oliphint reminds us how we must begin with God’s revelation rather than man’s reason. To do this requires having the Scriptures at the heart of apologetics.

Oliphint further explains throughout the book how we are to use reason, logic, and persuasion as we co-labor in that process. Obviously, we are not fideist in the sense that we are only to have faith. We are to be able to give a reason for our hope in Christ. And, because authority is the real issue, his thesis is clear: we must be certain that our authority is God and that when doing apologetics, we rely on the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit.

Defending the Christian faith is not something that only a privileged few are called to do. All Christians are to be ready to defend and give reason for our Christian faith and hope. To do that, Oliphint focuses on the need of complete reliance on the Holy Spirit, using the Word as our basis of knowledge and truth. “Thinking God’s thoughts after him” is the key both to defending and setting forth our Christian case. Coming to the Christian faith is not the result of the work of man but of God’s grace in revealing and opening our eyes to the truth. Therefore Oliphint challenges Christians to use God’s approach rather than man’s philosophy in that process. That however does not discard the Christian philosophy.

This book will appeal to both the entire body of believers, not only professionals in ministry. It is clearly written, easy to read, and will be a good source of study for a Sunday school class, as well as for personal study. Oliphint has avoided the technical language where possible without being simplistic. The book includes two appendixes that will be appreciated: one focuses on the Holy Spirit and Apologetics and the second gives a lengthy list of Scriptures related to the topic.

When I first received this manuscript from P & R, two things intrigued me; first, knowing T. M. Moore and appreciating his writings and second, the title had to do with kudzu. The publishers have given it a more sophisticated title but the metaphor of kudzu still runs throughout the book. Kudzu, as Moore explains, is that green tenacious southern vine that grows everywhere in the south. While it has unusual charm and can serve a good purpose, it can easily overgrow and overwhelm everything in its path.

This is a book that I recommend because we are engulfed in pop culture that reaches into every area of our lives. Our decisions about food, clothing, music, even worship and lifestyle are strongly influenced by pop culture. Ken Myers’s book, All God’s Children and Blue Suede Shoes, was one of the first books that challenged us to understand that in the 20^th century, as a result of the rapid spread of modernity; we added pop culture to our high culture and folk culture. In many ways, pop culture is a dumbing down kind of culture that is not all bad but has the rudiments of unsophistication. It promotes doing what feels good verses making careful and deliberate decisions.

Our challenge, as Moore reminds us, is not to take on the impossible by eliminating the kudzu, but rather concentrated on controlling it. Of course that is an endless job. Those who are willing to see the problem and rise to the challenge will find this book helpful in that endeavor.

We are given four ways of dealing with pop culture. According to Moore, none of them are complete in themselves; therefore, we are challenged to take a more biblical approach. This requires keeping abreast of trends, artists, and things like the TV media. As evangelical Christians, we cannot ignore pop culture because we are here on a mission and that requires a certain relationship to pop culture that will enable us to carry out our task of making disciples.

Moore points out that the impact of pop culture stems from its appeal to our emotions. He builds on earlier writings of Jonathan Edwards to make his case. “Anything that captures the hearts and imagination of so many people, and with so much passion and intensity, should certainly be of concern to evangelical Christians,” writes Moore.

Dealing with pop culture is a kingdom activity, and we totally agree. He delineates five aspects of our kingdom calling: 1. Our calling is spiritual in nature, 2. It entails both temporal and material, 3. The calling is uniquely fitted to each individual Christian, 4. Our calling has a communal dimension, and 5. It also has eschatological dimensions.

You will not only learn about pop culture and how Christians are to handle it, but will also learn about the kingdom of God and what being a kingdom Christian involves.

Having recently completed a manuscript on kingdom discipleship, I welcomed this as a companion to use alongside. One of my points is that it is essential in discipling Christians to help them to understand that effectiveness, survival, and ministry requires that we be self-conscious kingdom Christians. Moore says, “We cannot effectively engage the popular culture of our day without first resolving to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness as the top priority in all we do.” He further states, “By taking a kingdom approach to our involvement with popular culture-as opposed to an unthinking, merely pleasure-oriented approach-we may expect to benefit in all these ways, achieving better understanding, better communications, better recreating, better celebration, and better culture.”

This is a good personal read and study book, but it could also be used with a group. The six chapters could easily be stretched into 12 classes, if necessary.